A New Age: How Pixie Dust was Destroyed and How Tink Met Peter Pan
by Elsadisney
Summary: Tinker Bell didn't know Peter Pan in the movies, but she had already had adventures with him in the books. Fairies used pixie dust in the movies, but fairy dust in the books. What happened to make Pixie Hollow so different, and how exactly did Tink meet Peter? And why are there American Indians on Never Land? You'll know if you read this story, which tells of the epic battle.
1. Peter Pan

Many years ago, fairies lived peacefully in Never Land, in a place called Pixie Hollow. They were ruled by their queen, Clarion. The guardian of the island, Mother Dove, lived in the top of a grand maple tree called the Pixie Dust Tree. Very few fairies even knew Mother Dove existed. The dove was a close companion of Queen Clarion.

Each fairy had a different talent. A fairy named Tinker Bell was a tinker fairy. A fairy named Fawn was an animal fairy. A fairy named Nyx was a scout fairy. A fairy named Terence was a dust-keeper fairy. There were many other talents, too.

One day, the tinker fairy named Tinker Bell was flying around Never Land. She was more adventurous than most, and she loved to venture outside Pixie Hollow. She was one of the few fairies that knew about Mother Dove. Many things had happened to her. She had almost ruined spring, broken the blue moonstone, met a human girl, found out she had a twin sister, had temporarily become a water fairy, and had become friends with the Neverbeast, Gruff.

Tinker Bell's nickname was Tink. She was close friends with a few fairies from other talents. There was Vidia, a fast-flying fairy, Rosetta, a garden fairy, Iridessa, a light fairy, Fawn, an animal fairy, Silvermist, a water fairy, and Zarina, a dust-keeper fairy. Her sister's name was Periwinkle, a frost fairy who lived on the winter side of the border.

Today, Tink was flying over the ocean. She suddenly saw something floating on a broken raft. She flew closer. When she saw what it was, she gasped. A redheaded human boy was floating on a raft, about to be eaten by a shark!

Tink flew directly over the boy's head. He looked up. Throwing caution to the wind, Tink yelled, "Fly, silly boy, fly!"

But the boy didn't know how to fly, and he also didn't have any pixie dust. Tink showed him how to position his body, then sprinkled pixie dust on him.

The boy rose. He gasped in amazement, then flew away from the shark. The angry shark tried to chase him, but it couldn't get out of the water high enough. The boy and Tinker Bell flew away, laughing.

"What is your name?" Tink asked the boy once they were a safe distance away from the shark.

"Peter. Peter Pan," the boy replied. "What is your name?"

"Tinker Bell," Tink replied.

"Tinker Bell, what a nice name," Peter said.

Tink was surprised. The only other human she'd met, a girl named Lizzy, couldn't understand fairies. To her, fairy words just sounded like jingles. Tinker Bell wondered why this Peter Pan could understand her.

In fact, most humans can't understand most fairies. There are a few humans who have the Gift of being able to understand all fairies, and a few fairies who can speak loud enough to be heard by humans.

Peter Pan didn't have the Gift. The reason he could understand Tinker Bell was because he was in Never Land. If any human child comes to Never Land, the child will be able to understand what fairies are saying forevermore. If adults come to Never Land, though, they will still be unable to understand fairies. It is also possible to learn the fairy language, but it takes a very long time. Captain Hook learned the fairy language, but it took him years.

Tink didn't know all that. All she knew was that this boy knew what she was saying. She liked him from the start.

Then Tink noticed his ears. Unlike other humans, his ears were pointed like a fairy's!

"Why do you have fairy ears?" asked Tink in surprise.

"What?" Peter cried. Then he realized what she meant. "Oh, you mean my ears are pointed?" he said. "I don't know, actually."

Tinker Bell realized that when the boy had laughed for the first time as a baby, some of the laugh must have stayed with him and given him fairylike ears. There were incomplete fairies that lived in Pixie Hollow. One of them must have been Peter's laugh.

"What are you doing on Never Land?" asked Tink.

"I've lived here for a few months," Peter Pan said. "I was in a ship. Then I woke up here, on the shore."

Tink scratched her head. She hadn't known that this human had lived here for a few months!


	2. Kyto

On another part of the island, something had changed. There was something odd in the air, and the fairies in Pixie Hollow sensed it. It was only a tiny difference, but the fairies could tell. The air felt a tiny bit hotter. There was a faint scent of smoke. There was a whisper of a sound, a sound of powerful reptilian wings flapping. There was a strange taste in the air, and the fairies had sensed it.

The change was subtle. The fairies didn't know what had caused it. But Never Land knew.

A young dragon had flown to the island. He had just learned to fly a few weeks ago, and he was looking for a new home.

The dragon's name was Kyto. He had been born in a remote jungle. No humans had known about him or his family. If they would have seen him, they would have called him a "dinosaur." They would have captured him to study in a science lab.

But humans didn't usually go to remote, dangerous jungles. And so Kyto and his mother and sister had lived peacefully in their quiet home.

Kyto's sister, Kata, was a blue dragon. She was the same age as him. She could spit smoke out of her nostrils. His mother, Keota, was a deep burgundy dragon. She could breathe thin flames from her mouth.

But Kyto was a bright red dragon, and he could breathe out the hottest of hot flames, as hot as a volcano, and the flames were huge too.

After Kyto had learned to fly, he and his sister had lots of fun in the jungle. Kyto started forest fires. Kata puffed smoke at the ground.

Dragons as a species aren't evil, but Kyto was pure evil. He had roasted his sister's tail last week just for fun. Keota had kicked him out of the nest. She had told him to find a new home.

Kyto had been so mad, he had left the jungle to find a home far, far away. He had reached Never Land about a week later, and had thought it the perfect spot for a home. He saw a volcano, and had smelled delicious meaty creatures he could prey on.

Never Land didn't want to let Kyto in. It had sensed his evil, and sent a wind to keep him away. But the young dragon had slipped through the cracks and gotten in. It was his presence the fairies were sensing.


	3. Mother Dove's Beginning

The volcano on Never Land was called Torth Mountain. It had erupted once before, thousands of years before.

The first day that Never Land had existed, a dove had laid two eggs. A few weeks later, the eggs had hatched. Baby doves had come out. One was a boy, one was a girl. The female dove didn't know it at the time, but she would become a special dove.

Those young days were wonderful for the doves. Their mother taught them to fly. They had grown older.

The doves explored the island. It was a beautiful place. They met many birds.

The female dove had met a male dove once. She was grown up now, and she had been looking for a mate. The doves knew they were right for each other.

The female dove had built a nest. She would lay an egg soon.

In those young days, nothing bad ever happened. The earth was pure and good. The animals of Never Land lived in harmony.

Then one day, when the dove was sitting on her nest, a shudder ran through the earth. Something had happened. It was not the same anymore.

As the terrified dove sat on her nest, the earth shook. A deep rumble came from the mountain called Torth. A few still seconds passed, the calm before the storm. Then there was an exploding sound. Lava shot out of the mountain into the air. The dove didn't know what to do. She sat on her nest in the maple tree and cowered.

The lava touched the ground of Never Land, and another shudder ran through the island. It had just changed from an ordinary island to a magical one.

Now Never Land was not anchored to the ground. It could move freely around the sea. It could shrink and grow as it pleased. Never Land had a mind now. It had desires and wishes.

Never Land didn't want itself to die right after it had woken up. It saw the dove sitting in her nest and thought.

Trees on Never Land caught fire. Animals died. Plants shriveled. Soon, there were no more trees left but the tree the dove was sitting in. The fire raced toward the tree. The dove saw it and was terrified. She would die along with many other animals. She looked around for somewhere to go, but there was nowhere. The sky was raining fire. There were no more trees. So, the dove had to stay in her nest.

The fire got to the tree. It raced up the branches. It got to the top branch and the dove's nest. The bottom of the nest caught fire. Then it flared up. The fire hit the dove and flared over her. That was the last tree on the island. It stood there, burning.

The dove hurt all over. She cried out in pain.

Never Land had decided that the dove would help save the island. It didn't let the dove or the tree die.

Suddenly, the dove's pain stopped. She was still on fire, but she was not dying anymore. Her mind cleared. She began to think in words instead of coos and chirps. She gained knowledge. She was not afraid anymore.

The tree changed too. As it burned, night fell. It illuminated the night, a glowing orange tree with a glowing orange dove. A branch fell off the tree's top branches into the center. The fire changed it into a few clear, blue stones. The moon rose above the horizon. It was blue and close. It was the first blue moon. It shone through the stones. Blue, sparkling dust began to rain from the sky. Another branch fell from the tree, and it knocked the stones. The stones rolled away and were scattered about Never Land.

Twenty-six specks of the dust fell onto a high branch. Then the dust stopped falling. All twenty-six specks hit each other. A golden stream of dust came from the branch. It kept falling, a never-ending rush of dust. It fell into a hollowed-out place of the tree.

One root of the tree poked out of the ground. The golden dust began streaming out of it.

The blue dust had landed on the dove, too. It soaked into her feathers as the fire raged.

The dove fluffed her burning, sparkling feathers. Then she laid her head onto her feathers and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day came. The fire was still burning. Never Land sent a rain shower over the tree and the dove. The fire went out. Then the rain stopped. The dove was soaked. The tree was soaked. But the dust had not gotten wet. It continued to flow peacefully from the branch.

The water on the dove soaked in and made the blue dust melt into a fine powder. It melded with the dove's feathers.

When the dove finally woke up, the tree and the dove were both dry. The dove now knew her name. She was named Mother Dove. She was supposed to be the guardian of Never Land.

She knew all this because Never Land had told her while she was burning. The strange thing was, Mother Dove was not even singed, and neither was the tree or the nest. They were all perfectly intact, save for the few branches that had fallen from the tree.

The tree stood there, tall and erect, the only living tree on a blackened and charred island. The grand maple and its dove were the only signs of life on Never Land.

Slowly, the few animals that had survived climbed out of their hiding. Mother Dove's brother, who she now knew to be named Brother Dove, was alive. A baby hawk with golden feathers had also survived. Sadly, Mother Dove's mother, the first dove that had ever lived on Never Land, was gone. So was Mother Dove's mate. But many other animals had survived. A chipmunk, a hummingbird, and a bear crawled out of a hole they had hidden in. Many other birds had also lived. A baby mouse with a singed tail climbed out of a burrow. All the other animals that had survived crawled out of various holes and burrows they had hidden in. They were coming out onto a burnt, nearly dead land.

Something else was different too. A regular hawk suddenly had the urge to eat other creatures. Many other animals also began to crave meat. The world was not pure and good anymore.

A day later, Mother Dove laid her egg. It was pure, serene blue, and it was smoother than the finest pearl. At once Mother Dove knew it was not an ordinary egg. She knew it was magical.

The moment the egg had been laid, Never Land came to life again. Trees and plants grew at an astonishing speed.

The big maple Mother Dove sat in became the center of a beautiful place. Trees with cherry blossoms bloomed in one corner. In another, big, green-leafed trees grew. In the next corner, up sprouted trees with orange autumn leaves. In the last corner, the one with the big maple's root, snow began to fall and trees with bare leaves pushed out of the ground.

The corner with cherry blossom trees was cool, but not too cool. The corner with the green-leafed trees was very warm. The corner with the autumn trees was cooler than the green corner, and the snowy corner was very cold. In the center of it all, the grand maple with the precious dove stood.

Mother Dove knew her egg had been the cause of the life. She knew that her egg would keep Never Land young. No one who lived there would ever grow old and die if her egg stayed whole. Sadly, Mother Dove realized she would never see her chick. Her egg could never be allowed to hatch. If it did, Never Land would become an ordinary island again, and creatures would grow old and die.

Mother Dove had to stay on her egg. If she got off even for a second, the egg would grow cold and begin to crack. She was deeply sorrowful that she would never be able to fly around the island again.

Her brother flew to her. In a series of coos and chirps, he said he was happy that she had laid her egg and that she was safe.

"I am happy you are safe too," Mother Dove said. She gasped. She had spoken words!

Mother Dove remembered how to chirp and coo. She did so, and she explained to Brother Dove all that had happened.

Brother Dove had only the knowledge of a regular bird. He could not grasp all that his sister had said to him. But he understood two things: His sister would never be able to leave her nest, and her egg would never be allowed to hatch. He didn't ask why. Regular doves don't ask why, they just keep living life.

A week later, Mother Dove molted. With her new knowledge, she knew her feathers were special, so she kept them under her egg until they would be needed.

Years passed, and one day, a very large dandelion fluff blew past and into Never Land. Mother Dove knew what it was. It was a laugh. It would become a fairy when it touched the golden dust.


	4. Pixie Dust

The fairies had sensed the change in the air. Torth Mountain had too. It had only ever erupted once before, but now, lava began to bubble from deep under the earth and flow up into the mountain. It would not erupt yet, but it was not dormant anymore.

Kyto flew to the mountain and peered into the volcano. He saw fire far below. He smiled a toothy grin. Kyto liked fire. He was a fiery dragon.

Even though the hint of a dragon was in the air, the fairies began to go back to their carefree things they had been doing before they had sensed Kyto. Water fairies danced on ponds. Light fairies sunbathed on sunflowers. Tinker fairies built and fixed things. Fast-flying fairies raced each other. Dust-keepers handed out pixie dust. Animal fairies played with animals. Fawn, an animal fairy, one of Tinker Bell's friends, was in the Neverbeast's cave. The Neverbeast, Gruff, was hibernating, and Fawn wanted to be close to him.

Meanwhile, Tinker Bell was with Peter Pan, the boy she'd rescued from the shark. Peter Pan was in his underground hideout. He had hollowed a tree and dug a dirt hideout for himself to live in.

"I have a plan now," he said to Tink. "If you give me some more flying dust, I can go back to where I used to live. My friends and I used to want to never grow up. I haven't grown a bit since I came here, and I think…"

Tink cut him off by saying, "On Never Land, nobody grows up."

"Swell!" Peter exclaimed. "Will you please, please let me have more flying dust?"

Tink nodded. She knew it was really called pixie dust, not "flying dust", but she didn't correct Peter.

Tinker Bell flew back home to Pixie Hollow. Peter Pan didn't come after her. He sat on his dirt floor, planning.

The little fairy flew up to the depot where the dust-keepers kept pixie dust.

"Terence?" Tink called.

Terence flew out. He never admitted it, but he liked Tink, and he loved it when she called his name.

"Yes, Tink?" he asked.

"Could you give me some extra dust?" Tink asked.

"Only one cup a day," Terence replied. "Sorry."

Tink grew frustrated. "Remember what happened the last time you didn't let me have extra dust?" she said.

Terence nodded. "I guess I'll let you have extra dust. Just don't tell Fairy Gary!"

"I won't," Tink answered.

Terence flew into the depot. He came out a few moments later with two extra sacks of dust. "Here you are," he said.

Tinker Bell called, "Thanks!" Then she fluttered away to Peter Pan.


	5. The Lost Boys

Peter Pan's eyes lit up when he saw Tink, back with some bags of pixie dust.

"Tinker Bell!" he called.

"You can call me Tink," replied the fairy.

Peter Pan said, "Let's go now. But first, do you know how to get back?"

Tink nodded. "Follow the second star to the right and fly straight on till morning."

"Okay," Peter Pan said. He poured a sack of dust on himself. Then he flew out of the hideout.

Tink and Peter flew out of Never Land. They soon reached the mainland. Peter Pan flew around until he found some familiar houses. Then he rapped on the windows.

A bunch of boys opened the windows. "Peter?" they all said, not believing their eyes. "Peter, you're back!"

"Do you want to go to a land where you'll never grow up?" he asked.

All the boys nodded eagerly.

"Tinker Bell!" Peter called, realizing for the first time that his fairy friend had disappeared.

Tink had been flying to a house out in the country that she knew well. She landed near the door and knocked. As she waited, she began to have her doubts. What if…?

But her thoughts were interrupted when the door opened. Tinker Bell grinned when she saw her friend.

The girl standing at the door had brown hair, green eyes, and pale skin. She looked around in confusion. "Who's there?" she asked in her distinctly British accent.

"Lizzy!" Tink cried.

The girl heard Tink. "Little bells…" she said. Then her whole face lit up when she saw the fairy hovering there. "Tinker Bell!"

Tink flew up to Lizzy's face. Lizzy was smiling widely. She looked older than the last time Tink had seen her, but she still remembered the little fairy.

"Tinker Bell, I missed you!" Lizzy cried. "Where have you been all these years?"

Tink shrugged.

Just then, Tinker Bell heard a voice. "Tinker Bell! Tink! Where are you?"

"I have to go," Tink said.

Lizzy didn't understand her, but she heard the voice calling for Tinker Bell and she knew Tink had to go.

"Come back soon," Lizzy said. "I really hope I see you again."

Tink waved goodbye to Lizzy and flew on to Peter Pan.

"Tink, where were you?" Peter Pan asked.

"I was visiting a friend," the fairy replied.

"Okay," said Peter, "but I need you to give my friends flying dust so we can go back to Never Land."

Tink nodded. She flew in circles around Peter's friends until they began floating into the air.

"I'm flying!" one of the boys said.

The boys didn't know how to steer. Peter Pan showed them how to position themselves. Soon, the boys got it.

"Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!" the boys called as they flew past their houses.

Their parents watched in astonishment as their sons flew away to Never Land.

Peter Pan was flying straight towards the Second Star. His friends were following him.

Tink spotted the island in the distance. "There it is!" she cried.

Peter Pan understood her, but the other boys just heard jingling, like a bell.

"What's the little flying jingle-bell in front of us?" wondered one of the boys.

"That is a fairy," Peter Pan said. "Her name is Tinker Bell."

"Fairies live in Never Land?" another one of the boys asked.

Peter said, "Just one, I think. There could be more."

Tinker Bell smiled to herself. There were so many more fairies, but she wouldn't tell that to Peter.

Soon, they landed on Never Land. Tink grinned. She was home.

"We need a name," one of Peter's friends remarked.

"The Never Land Boys," another suggested.

"No, the Island Boys," another argued.

"How about the Lost at Sea Boys?" suggested another.

Peter said, "How about just the Lost Boys?"

All the others nodded. It was clear Peter Pan was the leader of the group.

After Peter had shown them the hideout, Tinker Bell had Peter to herself.

"Would you like to see me fix something?" asked Tink.

Peter nodded.

Tinker Bell found a kettle she had been fixing in Pixie Hollow. She brought it back to Peter, then set to work.

Within minutes, Tink was finished. She held it up to Peter to see.

Peter looked, but he couldn't find where the crack had been.

"I've picked the very best fairy, then," Peter Pan said.

Tink felt pride. It was the first time anyone had said she was the best fairy. She was glad Peter thought so.


	6. The Gift of Speech

Kyto flew to the volcano. He smiled his toothy reptilian grin. This would be the perfect spot for him to live. Kyto spotted a cave. He flew in. It was dark and cold, but Kyto would fix that. He spewed flames from his mouth until the cave warmed up. Kyto's flame was infernal.

They young dragon then explored his cave. To his extreme delight, there was a lone Never pearl in the very back. This was the first item that he ever put in his hoard.

Dragons are hoarders, and they love beautiful and rare things. They love gold and jewels, and Never pearls, which are extremely rare and only found on Never Land, appeal to them greatly.

Kyto's stomach growled, for he was hungry. He flapped his mighty, young wings until he had gotten to the edge of the forest. It was hard for Kyto to hide himself, for he was bright red, but since he was little, he hid behind a thick tree to wait for some prey.

The animals had also sensed Kyto's coming, and they were more wary and skittish than they usually were. But the young dragon had hidden himself well. Soon, a deer walked by. The dragon waited, then poked his head out from behind the tree and spewed out a flame. The deer tried to get away, but it was crisped almost immediately.

Kyto began to eat. He liked his food nicely cooked, and he was soon contented by his full belly.

Kyto flew back to his cave. He looked around for any more nooks and crannies he could find.

Never Land hadn't forgotten that Kyto was there. It was worried that the dragon could be trouble. But it also knew that Kyto was part of the island now. Never Land decided that it would give Kyto the gift of speech.

Kyto only could speak in sounds before. But now, his mind suddenly thought of words. That pretty thing over there was called a "Never pearl". And the place he was in was called a "cave"!

Kyto opened his mouth to make his young-dragon noises. But instead, he spoke words.

"What a place to live," Kyto spoke. "I battled the fierce winds and succeeded, and now I am here!"

Kyto liked his new ability so much that he kept talking. "That deer was delicious. I wonder what other delicious animals live here?"

In Pixie Hollow, the fairies were experiencing some odd weather. Kyto's flaming had caused the island to heat up just a bit. In the Summer Glade, where it was usually comfortable weather, it was now very hot. In the Spring Valley, the cherry blossoms were beginning to wilt from the unusual heat. In the Autumn Forest, the leaves were trying to turn green. And in the Winter Woods, the snow was beginning to melt.

The winter fairies were not happy about this. Their wings were starting to feel odd, and the snow had turned to slush. Gliss, a frost fairy, was frosting fairies' wings to keep them cool enough. If frost is covering a fairy's wings, it will keep either the heat or the cold from damaging the wings.

Meanwhile, Tinker Bell was exploring with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. They were flying around the forest, trying to spot pointy sticks. For some reason, little boys like pointy sticks very much.

Tink suddenly saw the remains of the deer that Kyto had killed. She was horrified. She didn't know of any animal in Never Land big enough to kill a deer. It was enough to send Tink flying home to Pixie Hollow, but she didn't. The Lost Boys and Peter had flown close to the deer and landed near it. One of the boys picked a bone up.

"Peter, this would be really nice to make into a weapon of some sort," the boy said.

"Yeah!" Peter cried. "Let's use all the bones and make weapons!"

Tink didn't like weapons. Fairies didn't use weapons much, except for the scouts, who carried weapons in case of an emergency. But Tinker Bell still stayed. She was starting to be friends with Peter.


	7. Indians

In another part of Never Land, a canoe hit the shore, and a few figures jumped out. They were American Indians who had just set off in their canoe. Most of them were male, but there was one female. She was a beautiful young woman named Tiger Lily, and she was the daughter of the chief.

Never Land hadn't tried to keep these newcomers out. In fact, it had gone out of its way to find them. They had only meant to take a fishing trip, then come back to their home, but a sudden storm had blown them out to sea. Amazingly, the little canoe hadn't tipped, but when the storm had cleared, the Indians were lost at sea. There was no land in sight… until Never Land came speeding toward them.

The Indians looked around the beach. They didn't speak any other language but their own. The chief said to the others that they should go inland and look around.

At the same time, Peter was flying back to his hideout with the Lost Boys and Tink following. Suddenly, he saw something in the distance. Peter dropped his bones into the hideout and flew past it. He flew straight toward the something that he had seen. When he got close enough to see what it was, he gasped.

"You're Indians!" Peter cried, flying right into their faces.

The Indians didn't know what Peter was saying, but they did see that he was flying. They wondered how he was doing it.

Peter Pan landed in front of them. He pointed to himself and said, "I'm Peter Pan."

The chief pointed to himself. "Chief," he said. Then he pointed at his daughter. "Tiger Lily."

Tiger Lily smiled.

Peter pointed at the Lost Boys. "They are the Lost Boys." Then he pointed at Tinker Bell. "She is Tinker Bell."

Tiger Lily was surprised. She had never seen a fairy before. "She-is-Tinker-Bell?" she said, pointing at Tink.

"Tinker Bell is a fairy," Peter Pan said.

"She-is-Tinker-Bell is fairy?" asked Tiger Lily.

Peter Pan laughed. Tiger Lily thought that Tinker Bell's name was She-Is-Tinker-Bell!

"Tinker Bell," Peter Pan said, pointing to the fairy. "Fairy."

"Tinker Bell, fairy," repeated Tiger Lily.

Tink grinned. She couldn't help but like this Tiger Lily.

"Tiger Lily," the chief said, "is…" He pantomimed rocking a baby.

"Tiger Lily is your daughter?" Peter Pan said.

The chief nodded.

Peter Pan bowed. " _Princess_ Tiger Lily."

Tiger Lily giggled.

Peter Pan suddenly remembered his bones. "I have to go and make my weapons!" he yelled, and flew away. The Lost Boys and Tink followed.


	8. Mermaids

After Peter Pan had finished whittling the weapons from the bones, he decided to go to the shore. Peter Pan flew out of the hideout, his friends following. Peter flew to the shore and saw some mermaids.

"Hello," Peter Pan said.

The mermaids took one look at Peter and dove beneath the surface. They had no interest in humans.

"Wait!" cried Peter. "I'm not just an ordinary human."

Some of the mermaids popped their heads out of the water, interested but not wanting the human to notice. Peter did notice though, and began speaking.

Mermaids are snobs. They don't care about humans. But if a human says that they aren't just an ordinary human, then they might be a bit interested.

"I'm Peter Pan," Peter said, "and I'm not just an ordinary human. I can fly."

The mermaids were a little interested. They knew ordinary humans couldn't fly.

"I have pointed ears," Peter said, "not round."

The mermaids knew regular humans had round ears.

"And I know a tale about a mermaid," Peter declared.

This made the mermaids raise the top halves of their bodies out of the water.

"I will tell the tale to you," Peter began. He flew over to some rocks poking out of the water and sat on them.

"Once upon a time," Peter said, "there was a little mermaid who fell in love with a human."

The mermaids laughed. A real mermaid would never fall in love with a human. Mermaids think they are much too good for humans, and they have no interest in humans at all.

Peter kept telling the story. When he came to the part about the mermaid giving up her tail to walk on land with the human, the real mermaids gasped. No mermaid would ever do that.

Peter said, "But the human was already in love with someone, so the mermaid didn't get a chance. When her time on land was up, she went back to the ocean and turned into sea foam. The end!"

The mermaids were intrigued by the story. It was quite silly, they thought, because they knew real mermaids didn't fall in love with humans, give up their tails, or turn into sea foam. But Peter Pan was a good storyteller, and the mermaids wanted to hear more stories.

"When I have some adventures, I'll tell you about them," Peter Pan said. "But first, tell me your names."

The mermaids each spoke their names. Peter couldn't say most of them. Mermaids speak in a language with many consonants and no vowels. But one mermaid's name sounded sort of like "Soop." It was much longer and more beautiful, but "Soop" was all Peter could manage to say.

"Your name is Soop?" asked Peter.

The mermaid laughed so hard that tears streamed out of her eyes, but she nodded. "Clooooooooooose eeeeeeenoooooooouuuuuuuuuugh."

Peter flew away to his hideout. He had won the mermaids' approval.


	9. A Loud Roar

In another part of Never Land, Kyto was roaming. He wanted to see all the sights of the island, which he had now come to think of as "his island". Soon, he came to the coast. Mermaids were sunning themselves on rocks. They had a slightly fishy smell to them, but to the young dragon, they smelled delicious.

"Mm," Kyto said. "Fishy mermaid snacks."

The mermaids heard this. They looked up at the young dragon, then dove under the sea.

Kyto tried to go after them, but when his snout touched the water, he quickly pulled it out. Kyto realized he hated water. He tried to flame, but all he could do was spew a bit of smoke out of his nostrils like Kata could.

Kyto shook his head in disgust at his predicament. Water was in his nostrils, and he would have to wait for his snout to dry out fully before he'd be able to flame again. Kyto let out a loud, angry sound only a young dragon that was very frustrated could make. It echoed throughout the island, and everyone heard.

In Pixie Hollow, the fairies gasped. Queen Clarion went to Fawn. "What kind of animal made that noise?"

"I don't know," Fawn admitted. "It sounds large and angry."

Mother Dove, up in the highest branches of the Pixie Dust Tree, was afraid. She could sometimes catch a few hints to the future, and she knew something bad would happen soon.

Queen Clarion flew up to Mother Dove. "Do you know what that sound was?"

Fear was in Mother Dove's eyes. "I don't know, but I do know something bad is going to happen. Move me to the hawthorn tree near this tree. Pick a seed from the Pixie Dust Tree and give it to me."

Queen Clarion was worried. She had never seen Mother Dove look scared before. So, the queen picked a seed from the Pixie Dust Tree and gave it to Mother Dove. Mother Dove took it in her beak and placed it under her body next to her egg.

Then, Queen Clarion said, "I can't move you alone. Who do you want to help me move you?"

"Tinker Bell, sound as a bell, brave little fairy," Mother Dove replied. "Vidia, fast as the wind. The four Ministers and Lord Milori. Fairy Mary and Fairy Gary. And Periwinkle, Tinker Bell's sister."

Queen Clarion flew to Tinker's Nook. She looked around, but didn't see Tink.

"Chipper," Queen Clarion asked a tinker, "Have you seen Tinker Bell?"

Chipper, a female tinker with black hair, brown eyes, and pale skin, replied, "No, Queen Clarion. I haven't seen Tink for the past few days."

The queen frowned. Then she flew to Tink's house. She peered in, hoping to see Tinker Bell. But the fairy was not there.

Queen Clarion decided to go find Tinker Bell's closest friends. They might know where she was.

"Haven't seen her for a few days," Rosetta replied to the queen. "A' course, I was painting spots on a ladybug for a few days. Lil' thing just wouldn't sit still!"

"I'm sorry, I haven't seen her," Silvermist said. "I've been busy putting dewdrops on this spiderweb."

Fawn said, "I don't know where she could be. I've been with Gruff this whole time."

"I don't know where she is, but I've been busy soaking up sun," Iridessa replied.

"Don't ask me," Vidia said. "Oh, wait. I think I saw her fly out of Pixie Hollow, but I can't be sure."

Zarina said, "I've been experimenting with pixie dust, so I haven't been out of my house for a while. Sorry, I haven't seen her."

Queen Clarion wondered who else she could ask. Then, she remembered Periwinkle, Tink's sister. Maybe she would know where Tink was.

The queen went over to the border without crossing. She called, "Hello? Periwinkle?"

A fairy flew out of the woods and hovered just across the border. Her wings were frosted. "Strange weather we're having," she said. "It's a bit melty over here."

"Do you know where Periwinkle is?" asked the queen.

"Peri? I'm not sure, but I could frost your wings for you if you want to cross and look for her," the fairy replied.

Queen Clarion shivered. To a warm fairy, the Winter Woods was cold and uninviting. But it had to be crossed so the queen could find Periwinkle and ask her about Tink.

The frost fairy asked Queen Clarion to turn around. She frosted Queen Clarion's wings. She took a long time, because she was trying to memorize every single detail. Queen Clarion's wings were beautiful, golden, and not shaped like a regular fairy's wings. It's not every day one gets to frost Queen Clarion's wings.

"By the way, I'm Spike," the fairy said.

"Spike, what a nice name," Queen Clarion said. Since Spike hadn't been born in the Pixie Dust Tree, Queen Clarion hadn't known her name or her talent. She'd guessed Spike was a frost fairy, though.

When Spike finished frosting the queen's wings, Queen Clarion flew into the Winter Woods. She braced herself for the bitter cold she was sure to feel. But it didn't come. It was chillier than it was on the warm side, for sure, but the temperature was a few degrees warmer than it usually was, and Queen Clarion didn't feel as cold as she should have.

"It is strange weather…" mused the queen. She wondered if the heat had something to do with the sound the fairies had heard. Something strange certainly was going on.

Queen Clarion saw Periwinkle fly by. Her wings were also frosted. With a start, the queen realized that the Winter Woods was now too warm for the winter fairies!

"Periwinkle," called Queen Clarion.

The frost fairy stopped and turned to the queen. "Queen Clarion! I didn't know you were here! Do you know why the weather is so strange?"

"I don't," replied the queen, "but have you seen your sister?"

"Tinker Bell?" confirmed Peri. "No, I haven't, but she doesn't come to the Winter Woods that often. She says it makes her bones ache."

The queen's wings drooped. "I was hoping you'd know where she was."

"Sorry," Periwinkle said.

Queen Clarion flew back over to the warm side. She rubbed her wings and the frost came off. She sighed. Nobody knew where Tinker Bell was.

Queen Clarion flew back to Mother Dove. "I'm sorry, but I can't find Tinker Bell."

"The bravest fairy to come in a long time," Mother Dove replied. "I sense now that she is away. Find the other fairies I asked for and bring them to me."


	10. Mother Dove's Wisdom

Queen Clarion went to find Vidia, the next fairy Mother Dove had mentioned. Vidia was one of the few fairies that knew about Mother Dove. The fastest fast-flying fairy in Pixie Hollow, Vidia could be a bit prickly at times, but she was usually very nice. She had become friends with Tinker Bell and her friend group a while back. Now she was not so rude as she used to be.

Vidia was resting in her sour plum tree. She had just been flying laps around Pixie Hollow, and she was tired.

"Vidia?" Queen Clarion said. "Mother Dove wants you."

Vidia smiled. She remembered what Mother Dove had said to her right after she'd been born: "You're Vidia, fast as the wind, proud as ever. Let the other fast-flying fairies teach you, and you may soon surpass them."

Vidia flew to Mother Dove's nest. Mother Dove smiled. "Vidia, the first of the fairies to come and help me." Then her eyes became worried. "I sense a change coming soon, and I fear you won't like it."

"Oh, I'm sure I'll be fine," Vidia said lightly.

Meanwhile, Queen Clarion went to find the four Ministers. The Minister of Spring was in his gazebo, complaining about the heat. The Minister of Summer was on Beach Cove, trying to dip her feet in the water and cool herself down without getting her wings wet. The Minister of Autumn was in the Harvest Promenade, his headdress off. He was also feeling the warmer weather. The Minister of Winter was fluttering around the Winter Woods, trying not to panic. She was very worried about the heat wave in the Winter Woods.

Queen Clarion told them all to come to Mother Dove. Each of the Ministers knew about Mother Dove. Each had learned about her soon after being born.

Mother Dove comforted the worried Ministers. "You are all worried about the heat," she confirmed. "Worse will come, but do not worry. It will not be too hot for long."

Next, Queen Clarion went to get Lord Milori. "Lord Milori, Mother Dove needs you."

Lord Milori knew about Mother Dove from Queen Clarion. Soon after Pixie Hollow learned that fairies could cross the border if their wings were frosted, Queen Clarion had taken Lord Milori to Mother Dove.

Lord Milori flew on his snowy owl to the Pixie Dust Tree and Mother Dove.

"I know you wonder what is the urgency," Mother Dove said. "As soon as everyone else I requested arrives, you will learn."

Queen Clarion flew to Tinker's Nook next. "Fairy Mary," she said, "Mother Dove needs you."

The stout little fairy fluttered up to Mother Dove's nest.

"Fairy Mary, you also wonder what is wrong," said Mother Dove. "You will know soon."

Then, Queen Clarion flew to the depot. She told Fairy Gary to come to Mother Dove. Fairy Gary flew to Mother Dove's nest and landed on the edge.

"You have done nothing wrong," Mother Dove said to him. "I need all of your help."

Last, Queen Clarion found Periwinkle. The little fairy was sitting on the log that was over the river that separated Winter from the warm seasons.

"Mother Dove needs you," Queen Clarion said to her.

After Tink and Peri were permitted to be together again, Tink had taken her to Mother Dove. Mother Dove had said, "Oh! You're Periwinkle, Tinker Bell's twin! You are kind and caring, shyer than your sister, and the fairy that has helped Pixie Hollow so much."

Periwinkle flew to the Pixie Dust Tree. Her wings were already frosted because of the heat, so she could come right away.

When Queen Clarion arrived, Mother Dove began to speak.

"I have sensed great danger. I need you to move me and my nest to the hawthorn tree that is close to this tree I am in."

"But Mother Dove, you have been in this tree since before fairies," Lord Milori protested.

"I know," said Mother Dove. "But I must ask you to move me. If all goes well, you may move me back. But I fear it will not go well."

Fairy Gary sprinkled the nest with pixie dust. It began to float a few inches above the branches of the Pixie Dust Tree. Then, Queen Clarion, with the help of all the other fairies present, carried Mother Dove in her nest down to the hawthorn tree.

Mother Dove sighed a sigh of relief. Then she spoke to Fairy Gary. "Collect all the pixie dust you can from the tree."

She told the Ministers, "A change is very near. Do not panic when it comes."

She told Fairy Mary, "You and your tinkers will need to do many repairs. Be ready."

She told Lord Milori, "I need you to be strong. Something will happen, I can sense it. But when it comes, be strong."

She told Vidia, "When this change comes, it will change you too. Hold on to the hope that this change will not be permanent, and try not to become bitter."

She told Periwinkle, "You and Tinker Bell are very close. No matter what, love her."

Then she told Queen Clarion, "This change will be hardest on you. Don't let it break you. Stay strong for your fairies, and the time will come when you will be of help."

All the fairies there nodded, although they didn't understand what Mother Dove meant. But they said to themselves that they would pay heed to Mother Dove's instructions.


	11. Kyto's Attack

The fairies weren't the only creatures that had heard Kyto. All the other creatures heard him too.

Peter Pan and the Lost Boys shrugged it off. They had only just started living on the island, and they didn't know if the sound was usual in Never Land. Tink was frightened, because she had never heard the sound before. She hoped it was not anything dangerous.

The tiffins, who were creatures about half the size of a grown human, heard and were worried. They debated on what to do about it.

The Indians were terrified. They never heard those kinds of noises where they used to live. They tried to go back to their canoe, but the canoe was gone! So, they ran into the dense forest and hid.

The mermaids heard and were also afraid. This dragon must be very powerful to make such a sound.

Captain James Hook and his crew weren't afraid. They figured they could just blast whatever it was with their cannon.

The animals were skittish and scared. They knew whatever had made that noise could eat them easily.

From his cave, the Neverbeast stirred in his sleep. He wasn't worried. He was asleep and hidden well.

Kyto flew back to his cave up on Torth Mountain. He said, "I must find some food small enough to catch without having to roast it."

The young dragon flew all over Never Land. It was starting to get dark, and he was hungry again. Because of the darkness, Kyto spotted a tree that seemed to be glowing yellow! He flew downwards.

If Mother Dove had still been in the Pixie Dust Tree, Kyto would have eaten her. But because the fairies had moved her earlier, Kyto didn't see her.

From their posts, scouts saw Kyto. They thought his shape was strange, but since they had no idea what he was, they sounded the hawk alarm.

Fairies dove for cover under anything they could find. Because they were moving, Kyto took notice of them. "Yum," he said. "Tiny things to eat."

The scouts almost fell out of their posts. They had heard the "hawk" speak!

Kyto lunged at the first fairy in range. He caught the fairy in his mouth. The fairy, thinking fast, beat her wings. It tickled the dragon's mouth, and he let go. But he had nipped off a little bit of wing, and he thought it tasted very good. It was raw, but it was still good, and Kyto hoped to eat a whole fairy.


	12. Fire

Kyto tried to catch fairies, but he couldn't. They were all hiding by now. The young dragon groaned and flew back to his cave, where he spent the night.

The next day, Kyto flew back to the spot where he had seen the glowing yellow tree. Fairies were using their talents, not knowing that Kyto was near.

Nyx, a scout, spotted Kyto first. In the daylight, she could see that he wasn't a hawk at all. Her sharp eyes enabled her to see every scale on his body clearly. She could see that his nostrils were flaring, and they were bone-dry.

"Fairies, take cover!" Nyx screamed.

The fairies flew under leaves, into flowers, and into trees. Nyx was the last to fly to safety.

One light fairy named Luminaria flew into the hawthorn tree that Mother Dove was hidden in. She blinked in surprise. She had seen Mother Dove.

Mother Dove cooed softly. Instantly, Luminaria felt completely satisfied. She felt the love Mother Dove had for fairies.

"Who are you?" asked Luminaria softly.

Mother Dove smiled. "I am Mother Dove. And you are Luminaria, bright and beautiful as the sun."

Luminaria smiled again. "How do you know my name?" she asked.

"I am the guardian of Never Land," cooed Mother Dove. "I know all the fairies' names."

Luminaria smiled yet again. She couldn't stop smiling at Mother Dove. She could feel the love Mother Dove had for fairies. The light fairy's green eyes sparkled as she thought, _I found Mother Dove, a hidden gem in this hawthorn tree._

"How long have you been in this tree?" asked Luminaria.

"Only for a day," replied the dove. "I lived in the Pixie Dust Tree until yesterday. Then I told Queen Clarion to move me."

Luminaria nodded, her face a little less smiling. She wasn't the only fairy that knew about Mother Dove after all.

Kyto was angry. He had come to this place to get the tasty flying creatures that lived here, but they had all hidden. He should have known they wouldn't be easy to catch.

The young dragon growled, "If I can't have you meaty, tasty snacks, then you can't have your…" he thought for a moment. His eyes lit on the Pixie Dust Tree. "Your sparkly tree!" he finished.

Kyto's nostrils had dried, and he was ready to flame. He shot a huge ball of fire at the tree. It began to burn.

Never Land had saved the tree from fire once, but it was not watching the tree now. It didn't save the tree. The tree burned to the ground, igniting some grass.

Kyto grinned his toothy reptilian grin. He was sure the flying creatures would be mad. He hadn't managed to catch and eat one, but he had ruined their tree. He was pure evil, and he loved making trouble for creatures.


	13. The Disaster

When Kyto flew away, a scout named Baden came out of his hiding place. He looked around to make sure the dragon had flown away for good. His sharp eyes spotted no red scales, and his keen nose didn't smell the dragon, except for the lingering scent he had left behind.

"All clear," Baden shouted.

All the other fairies flew out of their hiding places. Luminaria was reluctant to leave the hawthorn tree and Mother Dove, but she did.

Queen Clarion gasped. "The Pixie Dust Tree is gone!" She had noticed first.

All the other fairies turned to look. They were horrified. There was a blackened hole where the Pixie Dust Tree had been. In the Winter Woods, pixie dust stopped flowing from the root of the tree. The root fell out of the ground, dead and black. Lord Milori noticed. He stayed calm and remembered Mother Dove's words: "Be strong."

"Minister of Winter, I need you to come look at this," said Lord Milori.

She fluttered over. "What's the matt…" she started, then saw the blackened root that had fallen out of the ground. "What happened?" she cried. "The pixie dust is gone!"

She tried not to panic. She remembered Mother Dove's words, "Don't panic," and calmed herself. There was still pixie dust in the dip where pixie dust used to flow. The winter fairies would have enough pixie dust for almost a week.

In the warm seasons, fairies stood still, their wings barely fluttering. They could not imagine life without pixie dust. They would be unable to fly. Flying was a huge part of being a fairy.

Suddenly, Fairy Gary spoke up. "Yesterday I collected pixie dust from the tree. I think there is enough pixie dust left in the depot to last us for almost a year."

The fairies cheered. Their precious Pixie Dust Tree was gone, but they would still have lots of pixie dust. After the year was over, they didn't know what would happen, but they tried not to think about that.


	14. New Names

Kyto flew to the cave he lived in, laughing. He had made the flying creatures mad, he was sure of it. And he would keep trying to eat them. He was sure if he tried enough times, he would certainly catch one. He was still a child, he knew. He had many more years to live, and he would try and try every day until he got one. Dragons live for centuries, and Kyto was only a few months old.

The island's magic didn't hold Kyto. He would grow old. But he would live for hundreds of years. He knew of an old dragon tale about a very old dragon that had lived to be a thousand years old. Just before his 1,001st birthday, he had died. Kyto hoped to be like that dragon and live to his 1,000th year.

For a week, Kyto terrorized the fairies. They hid from him every day. He didn't burn anything else down, luckily. But Queen Clarion was sick and tired of the young dragon, and she soon had enough.

One day, Kyto didn't show. He was exhausted from flying back and forth from his cave to Pixie Hollow, and for the whole week, Never Land had been in a large mood. Kyto was asleep in his cave.

Queen Clarion called a meeting. "I don't know when that nasty beast will stop coming and trying to eat us," she said when everyone was gathered. "We must try to capture him and contain him."

"But how?" the fairies asked. "We are only tiny fairies, and he wants to eat us!"

Queen Clarion sighed. "I don't know," she finally said. "We will need all the help we can get."

Tinker Bell and the Lost Boys were low on pixie dust, so Tink said she would go and get some more. When she landed in Pixie Hollow, she didn't notice that the Pixie Dust Tree was gone. She walked to the depot instead.

"Terence?" she called. No one was there, and Tink walked in. _Surely, they won't mind if I just take a bit of dust,_ she thought.

Tinker Bell found a stack of leaves for carrying pixie dust in. She grabbed twenty and filled them to the top, tying them when they were full. She wasn't very careful, and a lot of dust spilled on the floor. Tink coated her wings with pixie dust and was just about to fly back to Peter and the boys when she saw the blackened hole where the Pixie Dust Tree had been.

"What…" Tink said, openmouthed. She flew to the hole. All the fairies were gathered there, the queen with a worried look on her face.

Tinker Bell flew into the gathering. She carried the bags of dust with her.

Nyx, the scout, spotted Tinker Bell. At the same time, Periwinkle's frosted wings began to sparkle.

"Tink's here!" Peri and Nyx said at the same time.

Queen Clarion saw Tinker Bell and smiled. "Where have you been?" asked the queen.

"What happened to the Pixie Dust Tree?" Tinker Bell replied in question.

"The red, fiery beast burned it down," Queen Clarion said sadly. "We have only enough pixie dust to last us…" she trailed off. "Tinker Bell, where have those leaf bags come from?"

"The depot," Tink replied. "No one was there, so I filled them with pixie dust myself…" Tink suddenly realized what she had done. "Oh…"

Queen Clarion didn't look angry as Tink had expected. Instead, she just looked sad. "You didn't know the tree was gone," the queen said. Then, curiously, "Who are they for?"

"Some humans that I've been with," Tinker Bell replied. "They, and I, were running out of dust."

"Humans?" the queen said. Then her face brightened. "Are there many?"

Tink nodded. "They are all young boys, and all friendly. Peter Pan is their leader. I didn't count exactly how many there were."

Peter Pan and the Lost Boys were waiting for Tink when Peter said, "We need names."

"We have names," one of the Lost Boys declared.

"Different names," Peter Pan said.

"Why?" asked one Lost Boy.

"Because," Peter Pan said, "your names sound boring."

"You will keep your name?" asked another Lost Boy.

Peter Pan nodded. "But the rest of you need to change your names."

A Lost Boy with buck teeth said, "I've always liked the name Nibs."

Another Lost Boy, spoke up. He was a bit chubby. "I like the name Cubby."

The tallest Lost Boy said, "I want to be Slightly."

The youngest Lost Boy didn't speak. Peter Pan said, "You can be Tootles."

Tootles smiled.

Another Lost Boy said, "I want to be Skulk."

The last Lost Boys to be named were two boys who looked exactly alike. They were twins.

"You can be called the Twins," Peter Pan said.

The Twins wanted more interesting names, but Peter was the leader, so they didn't argue.


	15. Fairies and Lost Boys

Queen Clarion told Tinker Bell, "Go out and count the boys. Then come back to me and tell me how many there are."

Tink nodded and flew to the Lost Boys. Peter said, "Hello, Tink! Where is the flying dust?"

"Um, I forgot it," Tink said. "How many Lost Boys are there?"

"If you include me," Peter said, "There's…" He trailed off, realizing he didn't know how many Lost Boys there were.

Cubby put up his hand. "I'm a Lost Boy!"

Tootles raised his hand too.

Slightly raised his hand.

Nibs put up his hand and cried, "Me too!"

Skulk also raised his hand.

The twins raised their hands.

Peter Pan put his hand up too. Tinker Bell did some quick counting. Altogether, there were eight hands raised.

"I'll go back and get the dust," Tink called, flying off.

Tinker Bell flew to the hole where the Pixie Dust Tree had been. "There are eight boys," Tink said.

Queen Clarion's smile widened. "Eight might just be enough…" she said.

Tink picked up the pixie dust bags and flew back to the Lost Boys. Queen Clarion followed.

Peter Pan noticed the queen. "Hey Tink, is that your friend?" he asked.

Tinker Bell turned around and saw Queen Clarion.

Queen Clarion flew up to Peter. "I am Queen Clarion, and I am queen of the fairies," she said. "I ask for your help. A red beast has been trying to eat fairies, and I need your help capturing him."

Peter Pan grinned. "You mean like a dragon?" he asked. "Course we'll help! Slaying a dragon is something I've always wanted to do."

"Uh, not slaying," Tink said quickly. "Just capturing."

Peter Pan frowned, but then he went back to smiling. "That's almost as good!"

Queen Clarion smiled. She said, "I will be the only fairy going on this quest," she said. "I don't want any fairies getting hurt."

She and Tink flew back into Pixie Hollow. Tinker Bell said, "You might need help from the talents."

Queen Clarion replied, "An animal fairy would be good. This… what did the boy call it? A dragon? It might be an animal."

"We'll be flying," Tink said. "We might need a dust-keeper to manage the pixie dust."

Queen Clarion nodded and said, "We don't know what kind of danger lies ahead. It may be best to take one fairy from every talent."

"That is an excellent idea," Tinker Bell affirmed.

Queen Clarion flew back to the blackened hole. "Tinker Bell has found eight boys who will help us," she said. "I will go on a quest to capture the beast. I need one fairy from every talent to come along."

All the fairies separated themselves into their talent groups. Only Queen Clarion and the Ministers remained in the center.

"I choose Pewter from the dust-keeper talent," Queen Clarion said.

Pewter flew up.

"From the animal talent, I choose Nollie," Queen Clarion went on.

Nollie flew to the queen. She hovered next to Pewter.

"Sled from the winter animal talent will be coming," Queen Clarion said.

Sled flew next to Nollie.

"From the art talent, I choose Blair," Queen Clarion said. "From the garden talent, I choose Dewberry. From the healing talent, I choose…"

A healing fairy said, "I am one of the best of my talent."

Queen Clarion smiled and said, "I choose you, then, for the healing talent."

The queen went on, "From the glacier talent, I choose Slush. From the helper talent…"

A helper fairy said, "I will come, and I will protect you, Queen Clarion."

"I will choose you for the helper talent," Queen Clarion replied.

Queen Clarion kept going. "For the kitchen talent, I choose Gelata. From the light talent, I choose Luminaria. From the scout talent, I choose Baden. From the scribe talent, I choose…"

A scribe sparrowman cried, "I'm the best of my talent. I've read every book in the library, and my handwriting is very clear."

Queen Clarion smiled. "I'll choose you for the scribe talent."

She kept speaking, "For the storytelling talent, I choose Rune. For the snowflake talent, I choose Qana. For the tinker talent, I choose Melior. For the water talent, I choose Cera. For the weather talent, I choose Glimmer. For the fast-flying talent, I choose Elwood. And for the frost talent, I choose Spike."

All the fairies Queen Clarion had chosen flew up. They formed a line of fairies. There were twenty fairies including Queen Clarion.

"We will go now," Queen Clarion said. "All of the fairies I haven't chosen must stay in Pixie Hollow. All the pixie dust must be taken on the quest. The fairies that stay here won't be able to fly."

All the fairies that weren't chosen groaned. They didn't know how they could go without pixie dust for days, maybe weeks. They hoped the questers wouldn't use all the pixie dust.

Tinker Bell was especially irritated. She was so irritated she began pulling on her bangs, something she didn't normally do. Tinker Bell was Peter's friend, so why shouldn't she go on the quest?

"Queen Clarion," Tink said, "I think I should go on the quest. I'm Peter's friend, and I could…"

Queen Clarion frowned. "No, Tinker Bell. You are the most talented tinker we have, and we can't lose you."

Tink crossed her arms but said nothing.

The queen and the nineteen fairies that had been picked flew out of Pixie Hollow, taking all the pixie dust. The fairies staying home waved sadly, hoping that Queen Clarion and the others would not fail, and hoping their pixie dust would return home.

Queen Clarion flew to Peter. "Your name is Peter, right?" she asked.

Peter Pan nodded. "Peter Pan."

"We are ready to go on the quest," Queen Clarion said.

"Do we get flying dust?" Peter Pan and the Lost Boys asked.

Queen Clarion frowned. What was "flying dust"? Then she realized Peter Pan meant pixie dust. She nodded. "You will need it to get to the beast's home quickly."

Peter Pan and the Lost Boys cheered.

Queen Clarion flew onward. She didn't know where the red beast lived, but she knew he must live somewhere hot. What had Peter called it? A dragon, that's what.

Meanwhile, Kyto slept in his cave. He was guarding his precious hoard while asleep.

Queen Clarion, the Lost Boys, and the fairies flew onward. Peter Pan had brought the bone weapons the Lost Boys had made. Very soon, they arrived at Kyto's cave.


	16. The Battle

Kyto was asleep in his cave. Suddenly, he heard the jingling of little bells. He awoke. The tiny creatures that he wanted to eat were there!

Kyto lunged at the most sparkly one. She had golden wings. He didn't get her, though. Kyto growled and tried again. He got ready to flame.

Cera flew out, distracting Kyto. She spun around in circles, water flying out of her body. Some of the water hit Kyto's nostrils. He roared. Now he couldn't flame!

But Kyto's nostrils still let out smoke. He decided to smoke the flying things. Before he could do that, though, a bunch of human boys flew in, waving their weapons and yelling.

Kyto tried to eat the boys, but without his flame, he couldn't roast them. The one who seemed to be the leader poked him with his bone weapon. It hurt a bit. The young dragon tried to get away. Suddenly he had a thought. Maybe these boys were trying to steal his hoard!

Kyto's eyes narrowed and he stood in front of the hoard. "Don't touch my hoard," he growled.

"I don't want your hoard," Peter Pan exclaimed brashly, "I want a dragon-pelt rug for my hideout!"

Kyto was worried. Without his flame, he couldn't properly defend himself from these boys. He cowered in front of his hoard.

Queen Clarion gave a signal. Dewberry flew above the cave. She spotted a tree. It was directly over where Kyto was guarding his hoard. Dewberry touched the tree, and it began growing. The top grew tall, and the roots grew into the cave. This was a special kind of tree. If Kyto strained against the roots, they would only grow stronger. The roots grew into the cave floor. Then, Dewberry stopped growing the tree.

Kyto was angry. "When my nostrils dry, I will flame you all!" he roared.

The fairies and the Lost Boys flew out of the cave. "Pixie Hollow is safe from this dragon's treachery," Queen Clarion said.

Suddenly, a rumble sounded. Pixie Hollow was safe from the dragon, but the fairies' troubles had only just begun.


	17. Eruption

Kyto's nostrils dried, and he began flaming. He could not break through the roots, because that kind of tree's roots was immune to fire. Kyto was so angry, he kept flaming and flaming. All the extra heat caused the lava that was in the volcano to bubble up even higher. Finally, it spewed out of the top. Torth Mountain was erupting.

Queen Clarion and the other fairies flew for cover. Peter Pan and the Lost Boys flew back to their hideout. Never Land was in a small mood, so the fairies and the Lost Boys got home quickly.

"Torth Mountain is erupting!" cried Queen Clarion. "Everyone, take cover!"

The fairies who didn't have pixie dust ran to hide in a hole. Queen Clarion made sure everyone was in the hole. Then she cried, "Tinker Bell! Where is Tinker Bell?"

Mother Dove, from the hawthorn, cooed. "Tinker Bell is with the Lost Boys. She is safe."

"Will you be safe in the tree?" asked Queen Clarion.

Mother Dove cooed. "Yes, my dear. Never Land is protecting me. Now go!"

Queen Clarion flew to the hole. She had almost got in when a small lava rock hit her! She was not hurt, but the blue dust that she had placed on her dress so long ago was hit. Suddenly, her dress stopped flowing. The last of the pixie dust on her dress fell to the ground and disappeared.

Queen Clarion flew to the hole, not bothering to think about her dress. She did not want to get hit again.

Right after the fairy queen had flown into the hole, the garden fairies had covered the hole with plants. It was very dark, and the only light was the fairies' glows.

Rosetta was the first to notice that Queen Clarion's dress was gone. "Queen Clarion, what happened to your dress?" she asked.

"A piece of lava hit it," she said.

Torth Mountain spewed out lava. Pieces of the lava hit all the pixie dust in Pixie Hollow. Then the moonstone pieces were hit. Soon, every grain of pixie dust, every moonstone fragment, and every speck of blue dust in Pixie Hollow was reduced to a pile of ashes.

In Zarina's house, one speck of each talent-switching dust color was left. No lava hit it.

Mother Dove cowered in the hawthorn tree. Never Land was protecting her. No lava hit the tree or the dove.

Kyto, in his cave, was happy. The lava was hot, and he liked hot. A river of lava flowed into the cave and under the tree roots. It touched Kyto. Kyto growled. He liked this. Kyto laid down in the lava and rolled around. The lava singed his scales off. Kyto jumped up. The young dragon's red scales were gone, and under them lay a green tender skin. Kyto's scales grew back at a rapid pace, but now they were green!

Days passed, and finally, the volcano stopped erupting. Nyx, a scout, flew out of the hole. "All clear," she said.

Slowly, the fairies crawled out of the hole. They were glad to see that aside from the giant hole where the tree had been, Pixie Hollow looked the same.


	18. A New Dress

Queen Clarion was without a dress. She walked over to the depot to get a speck of blue dust. That way she could recreate her dress. When she walked in, she gasped.

"All the pixie dust is gone," she cried. "There is no blue dust left. Worst of all, the pieces of the moonstone are gone!"

Baden, a scout, heard her, and went in to investigate. He saw the same thing that Queen Clarion saw. The pixie dust was gone.

"I will alert everyone," Baden said to Queen Clarion, and flew out of the depot. Queen Clarion could only stand there, in shock. What would life be like now?

Rosetta walked in a few moments later. "Queen Clarion, you have got to find a new dress," she said. "It isn't becoming not to wear anything."

Queen Clarion was still in shock. Rosetta quietly flew out of the depot and picked a few pink rose petals. She got an art fairy to sew them into a dress for the queen. Then she flew into the depot. The queen was still standing there, her golden wings drooping.

"Queen Clarion," Rosetta said.

Queen Clarion didn't respond.

"Queen Clarion," Rosetta said again.

Queen Clarion just stood there, unmoving.

"Queen Clarion, I got a dress made for you," Rosetta said.

The queen turned around. "Oh… thank you, Rosetta," she said distractedly. She put the rose-petal dress on, not saying anything.

Rosetta's wings drooped and she flew out. "There's somethin' wrong with the queen," she said to Chloe, a fellow garden fairy.

Chloe's wings drooped. "I heard there's no pixie dust," she said. "How will we live?"

"Ah don't know," Rosetta said. "It'll definitely be strange."


	19. A Huge Change

Queen Clarion was frowning. She was not in shock anymore. She knew what she had to do.

"Fairies, assemble," Queen Clarion said. She walked out to the place where the Pixie Dust Tree had been.

The fairies slowly walked to the hole.

"Queen Clarion, what are we going to do?" the Minister of Spring asked. "We have no pixie dust left. What are we going to do?"

When all the fairies had assembled, Queen Clarion said, "I do not know what is going to happen to us. We cannot fly any more, and that makes us more vulnerable to hawks and other predators. I decree that all the fairies must live underground, where there are no predators to eat us."

"Wait," a voice called out. Queen Clarion recognized it as Mother Dove's voice.

Queen Clarion smiled. "What is it, Mother Dove?"

"Queen Clarion, can you please call all the fairies to me?" asked Mother Dove.

"Yes, Mother Dove," the queen said. "Fairies, we must move to the hawthorn tree for the assembly."

The fairies walked to the hawthorn tree. Mother Dove cooed. "Fairies, for those of you who don't know me, I am Mother Dove, the guardian of Never Land. I cannot leave this egg, for if I do, Never Land will lose its magic. Animals and humans would grow old and die."

Luminaria gazed up at Mother Dove contentedly. "I knew about you before many of the others," she said.

"Yes, that is true," the dove said. "I have a solution to your problem."

Queen Clarion gasped. "What is it?" she asked.

"My feathers," the dove said. "Years ago, I molted. I kept the feathers in case they were needed. And now they are."

"How will your feathers help?" Lord Milori asked.

"I am a magical bird," replied Mother Dove. "If the dust-keepers will grind my feathers, the dust produced can be used as a sort of pixie dust. Fairy dust, it is called."

Mother Dove raised herself up above the egg and pulled the very old feathers from the first molt out of her nest. She hurriedly sat back down so the egg would not crack.

"Now, I would like the tinker fairies to make a grinder," said Mother Dove.

"Fairy Mary, you must make it," Queen Clarion said. "Since Tinker Bell is not here, she cannot make it."

Fairy Mary smiled. She tried to fly, then remembered that she couldn't. She walked out, gathered the materials, and set to work. A few hours later, she was done.

"Thank you," cooed Mother Dove. "Now, Fairy Gary, since you are the leader of the dust-keeper talent, you must take the feathers from my nest."

Fairy Gary smiled and tried to fly up to Mother Dove's nest. He frowned and walked to the hawthorn, then climbed it. It took longer than it would have with flying. Fairy Gary gently took the feathers and climbed back down. He walked to the grinder Fairy Mary had made.

Mother Dove instructed him to grind the feathers. He did so, and fine dust was made. Terence, another dust-keeper, picked up some of the dust and put it on his wings. He fluttered them, and them he flew into the air!

A cheer went up from all the fairies. "Fairy dust works!" cheered Queen Clarion.

Vidia was the next one to try it. She was elated to fly again, but she felt something was different. She couldn't fly as fast.

Soon, all the fairies had tried the fairy dust. It worked marvelously, and they were so glad to fly again.

"Pixie Hollow is saved!" Queen Clarion cried. "Thank you, Mother Dove."

The dove cooed. "We're not done yet," she said. "I would like all the fairies to come up to me."

They all flew up to Mother Dove.

"Dust-keeper fairies, you will now be known as the dust-talents," Mother Dove said. "Animal fairies, you will be known as animal-talents. Winter animal fairies, you will be known as winter-animal-talents. Art fairies, you will be known as art-talents. Garden fairies, you will be known as garden-talents. Healing fairies, you will be known as healing-talents. Glacier fairies, you will be known as glacier-talents. Helper fairies, you will be known as helper-talents. Kitchen fairies, you will be known as kitchen-talents. Light fairies, you will be known as light-talents. Scout fairies, you will be known as scouting-talents. Scribe fairies, you will be known as scribe-talents. Storytelling fairies, you will be known as storytelling-talents. Snowflake fairies, you will be known as snowflake-talents. Tinker fairies, you will be known as tinker-talents. Water fairies, you will be known as water-talents. Weather fairies, you will be known as weather-talents. Fast-flying fairies, you will be known as fast-flying-talents. Frost fairies, you will be known as frost-talents."

"Why are we changing our talent names?" asked Lyria.

"Pixie Hollow is changing," cooed Mother Dove. "You must change your talent names. It is for the best."

Queen Clarion flew close to Mother Dove. "Is there anything else?" she asked.

Mother Dove smiled. "Yes, Queen Ree."

"Queen Ree?" asked Queen Clarion.

"Yes," Mother Dove said. "You have earned the nickname for being a wonderful queen. You made sure all your fairies were safe before yourself."

Queen Clarion smiled.

"Queen Ree," Rosetta said. "I like it!"

"There is another thing," Mother Dove said. "Take the seed of the Pixie Hollow Tree that we saved."

Queen Clarion smiled. Mother Dove pulled the seed out of her nest, and she gave it to the queen.

"Plant it in the hole where the Pixie Dust Tree was," instructed Mother Dove.

Queen Clarion did so. The garden-talents flew over to the seed and covered it with dirt. The water-talents gave it water. The light-talents focused sunbeams on the place. Then the garden-talents flew over, and every one of them touched the spot where the seed lay. Suddenly, a seedling sprouted. It grew into a sapling. Then it grew even taller, becoming a tall tree. As the branches grew, each garden-talent fairy focused on a single branch. When they were done, they stood back to admire their work. The tree looked exactly like the Pixie Dust Tree had.

"We will call it the Home Tree. It is the child of the Pixie Dust Tree," Mother Dove said happily. "Fairies will make their homes in there."

Queen Clarion smiled. "Pixie Hollow has earned a new name," she said. "We will call it Fairy Haven sometimes, for the Home Tree has made Pixie Hollow a haven to us all."

Several fairies sighed.

"As much as it pains me to say this," Queen Clarion went on, "we have entered a new way of life. The time of pixie dust is over, and now the time of fairy dust is on us. Because of this, we must change our ways of living. Everything will be orderly. Meals will be served at the same time every day. The tinker fairies… I mean, tinker-talents, will be busy hollowing the Home Tree for us to live in. We have entered a new age."

As everyone cheered, Queen Clarion smiled. Pixie Hollow was coming back to life.

"Isn't this just great?" Rosetta squealed.

"Orderly is my life!" cried Iridessa. "I love this!"

Fawn smiled. "I think it's fantastic!"

Silvermist smiled. "Sounds great," she said. "Vidia, you should get your room next to mine!"

Vidia crossed her arms. All her friends seemed to think this was great. It was not, Vidia was certain. She thought about Mother Dove's words. _When the change comes, it will change you too._ Vidia frowned. _The change hasn't changed me,_ she thought. _It has changed everyone but me. I won't let it change me, too._

"Vidia?" asked Silvermist.

"I'm not going to live in the Home Tree," Vidia said, a little more harshly than she'd meant to. "I'm going to live in my sour plum tree where I always have."

"Oh," Silvermist said sadly.

"Vidia, aren't you glad we have fairy dust?" asked Iridessa.

"Yes, and no," Vidia said angrily. "The change has changed everyone, everyone but me. I'm living in the sour plum tree, and that's that."

"But Vidia, if you lived in the Home Tree, you could be by all of us, your friends," Rosetta said.

"Maybe I want alone time," Vidia said. "A lot of alone time."

With that, she flew off.

Vidia sat in the branches of the sour plum tree, sulking. "They aren't my friends," Vidia convinced herself. "If they were, they wouldn't have changed. They would have stayed how they were."

Vidia kicked a leaf off the tree. She fluttered around angrily. She pulled on her feather that tied her hair. Suddenly, it came loose and blew away.

"No!" Vidia yelled. She saw a purple thorny vine on the ground and picked it up. She tied it around her hair. It would do for now.

Vidia flew back to her tree. She laid down on a branch and slept.

Vidia didn't know it, but in trying to prevent herself from changing, she had changed. She had become bitter unintentionally, the very thing she was trying to avoid. In the years that followed, Vidia would become distant from her friends. She would become cold and sarcastic, not caring about anyone else's feelings. No one would regard Vidia as a friend anymore. Her only comfort would be her talent, and she would do anything to fly faster.


	20. Periwinkle

Periwinkle was very sad. She hadn't heard from her sister in days. She tried not to be worried.

One night, a fairy with a green dress and blonde hair flew in to Pixie Hollow. She grabbed a bag of fairy dust and put a leaf where the bag had been. Then she flew away.

The next day, Periwinkle got Gliss to frost her wings. Then she flew out of the Winter Woods. She went to the depot, which was now called the fairy dust mill. Suddenly she saw a leaf. She picked it up. It had writing on it.

 _My dear sister Periwinkle,_ it read, _I am going to be away for a long time. I am Peter's fairy now. It wouldn't be right for me to go back. I don't know if I'll ever come back. Do know that you are in my thoughts. I am safe. Your sister, Tinker Bell._

Periwinkle didn't know whether to be happy that her sister was safe, or sad that her sister was going to be gone for a long time, maybe even forever. She just sank to the ground with relief and heartbreak.

Fairy Gary found her there a few hours later. "What's this?" he asked. "Periwinkle?"

Periwinkle looked up, her blue eyes clouded over. She showed him the note wordlessly.

Fairy Gary read the note quickly. Then he said, "Oh, Periwinkle. This must be so hard for you."

Periwinkle nodded. She remembered what Mother Dove had said. _You and Tinker Bell are very close. No matter what, love her._ Periwinkle would always love her sister, Tink.

Periwinkle flew back to the Winter Woods. She had a large frown and she was close to tears. Still clutching the note, she flew into the Frost Forest.

Gliss was fluttering nearby. When she saw Peri's frown, she flew over. "Why so glum?" asked Gliss.

"It's Tink," Periwinkle said. Then she burst into tears and held out the note.

Gliss read the note. "Oh, dear," she said.

Periwinkle nodded. She fluttered to her home and put the note in her drawer where she kept "found things". The note would be very dear to Periwinkle, because it was the last thing Tinker Bell had given her.

The fairies' world had been shattered, but it had been restored by Mother Dove. The fairies all dealt with it in separate ways. For most of the fairies, life was good. There were a few fairies who couldn't cope, but life returned as normal as it could be.

Vidia detested life as it was now. Everything was so orderly and different. She hated it, how Pixie Hollow had changed.

Periwinkle was very sad. Her sister had gone away, and Periwinkle missed Tink very much. Every day, Periwinkle would sit in her home and cry. She didn't come out as much, and she would usually be at home, thinking about Tink. She hoped Tinker Bell would come home soon.

Tinker Bell didn't know how much Pixie Hollow had changed. She flew with Peter now. She didn't really feel like coming home. Flying with Peter Pan always held great adventures!

Occasionally, when the fairy dust ran out, Tink would sneak back to Pixie Hollow and take a new bag. She didn't know that the dust wasn't pixie dust. She didn't know how the fairies were getting more. She never went anywhere in Pixie Hollow but the depot. All she cared about, for now, was Peter and the Lost Boys.

For the fairies of Pixie Hollow, life became a routine. They still had quite a few hours of free time, but it wasn't the carefree life they used to have. No one knew what the future would hold. Would Tinker Bell ever come back? Would they ever have pixie dust again? Would Kyto somehow break free?

But after a few years, the fairies had all but forgotten about their old lives. It was nothing but a memory, a tickle in the back of their minds. It was a sweet memory that the fairies sometimes reminisced about.

Life had changed. The future would hold many surprises. But for the present, the fairies were glad. Life continued on.


End file.
